Today’s new home is more than the safest, healthiest and most environmentally - friendly home ever built - today’s new home is a driver of the economy. In fact, at the height of our regional housing market earlier in this decade, economists credited nearly 40 percent of Inland Empire jobs to be directly or indirectly driven by new home construction.

Today’s new home builders are committed to providing homebuyers the best environments both within and without. That is why, earlier in the month, the BIA Baldy View Chapter in conjunction with regional elected leaders and regulatory agencies presented the Third Annual 2009 San Bernardino Water Conference in Ontario.

The event, which recently scored a prestigious national award for our county, brought together nearly 500 elected leaders, city and regulatory agency staffs, building industry professionals and water experts to seek viable water policies to spur and sustain economic growth throughout the region.

The 2009 event focused on facilitating a regional solutions - oriented dialogue to both ensure a healthy water supply and spur recovery by featuring speakers ranging from elected officials and region water experts ranging from San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gary Ovitt and Vice - Chair Josie Gonzales; Kirby Brill of the Mojave Water Agency and Brian Thomas of the Metropolitan Water District to keynote speakers Lower Colorado Regional Director for the Bureau of Reclamation Lorri Gray-Lee, and senior fellow and Director of Research for the Public Policy Institute of California Ellen Hanak.

In addition to seeking solutions to bolster our recovering economy, the event targeted long - term strategies for healthy water and economic development.

The issue that vaults water and the economy into the forefront of the region’s looming recovery is population growth because the homebuilding industry both houses population growth and sustains economic growth.

In addition to today’s new home being the most environmentally friendly new home ever built thanks to state - of - the - art new home design, appliances and irrigation technology, new home communities also conserve water through ‘water – wise’ landscaping that employs native and drought - tolerant plants.

Also, new home community builders typically pay for the new infrastructure that directly leads to their new home communities, so every aspect of water usage in today’s new home is literally the ‘state of the art’.

Occupying a new home does not necessarily increase water consumption - it merely relocates it from one home (generally an older house) to a new one. This means the only new consumption caused by a new home relates to irrigation for outside landscaping which new homebuilders minimize and offset with the conservation - friendly fixtures that go into new homes.

What all of this new water - efficiency means to new home buyers is more than just a healthier environment inside and outside of your new home, it means today’s new homeowner will realize savings on their water bills for years to come.

So if a new state - of - the - art water - efficient home is in your future, here are some steps you can take now to start protecting our environment and enjoy some added savings.

* Use landscaping and plant materials that require low water use. You can start by reducing turf areas to lower water - consuming plant material such as native and drought - resistant plants.

* Place mulch around trees and plants to slow evaporation of water to use less.

* Only water plants and lawns in the early morning hours to avoid water loss to evaporation and afternoon winds.

* Upgrade irrigation systems with drip, low-drift nozzles and smart timers.

* Raise lawnmowing height to maximize shade on the soil surface to reduce evaporation and reduce stress on the turf.

* If you have a pool, use a pool cover to slow evaporation.

* Don’t hose off paved surfaces unless required for health and safety reasons and only when using a water broom or water efficient pressure washer.

* Periodically check for leaks in pipes, hoses and faucets and repair all leaks immediately.

* As appliances or fixtures wear out, replace them with water-saving models.

* Wash only full loads of laundry and run the dishwasher only when full.

* Request a water audit from you local water provider to identify ways to save money and conserve.

To help you find more ways to conserve your utility dollars while conserving our region’s most precious resource, you may visit the following websites: www.BeWaterWise.com, the Mojave Water Agency at www.mojavewater.org, the Inland Empire Utilities Agency at www.ieua.org, the Chino Basin Water Conservation Water District at www.cbwcd.org, the Cucamonga Valley Water District at www.cvwdwater.com, the Metropolitan Water District atwww.mwdh2o.com, the Monte Vista Water District at www.mvwd.org, the San Bernardino Valley Water District at www.sbvmwd.com, California’s Water Conservation Resource at www.saveourh2o.org or the Water Education Foundation at www.watereducation.org.

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